Poking Fun at the Transformation: Postsocialist TV Satire in the 1990s

Abstract

This article examines postsocialist TV satire of the 1990s in the Czech Republic and Poland using the examples of the programmes Česká soda (Czech Soda Water, ČT, 1993-1997 and Za chwilę dalszy ciąg programu (Next Episode in a Moment, TVP, 1988TVP, -1994. These pioneering shows were among the first to introduce the format of television satire and news parody to postsocialist screens. The article explores how the programmes' creators forged a highly particular format stemming from local variety show traditions. It analyses the ways in which these shows articulated criticism of the transformations of postsocialist countries from planned to market economies and reflects on their enduring popularity and function as sites of memory of the 1990s.